Sirsy – the dynamic pop-rock duo of Melanie Krahmer and Rich Libutti – wrapped up another fine season of free summer concerts at Wiswall Park in Ballston Spa last month.

The duo embarks on a month-long east coast tour kicking off at the Bitter End in NYC on Thursday (September 24), and continuing down the coast to Florida. But they’ll be back in town in time for a free Halloween concert at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Troy at 9:30 on Saturday, October 31.

Since 1970, the Pick’n’ & Sing’n’ Gather’n’ has sponsored the GottaGetGon, a Memorial Day weekend musical getaway and family folk festival. It’s informal, interactive and lots of fun. Camping is encouraged. So grab your musical instrument and get gone…

Featured performers at this summer’s GottaGetGon include Brooks Williams (blues and Americana singer-songwriter), Tumbling Bones (new traditional American music from Portland, Maine), Windborne (Brattleboro-based folk quartet specializing in vocal harmonies from around the world) and Lorraine & Bennett Hammond (the folk duo blends musical styles from classical through Celtic, blues and contemporary).

As you may remember, some mighty torrential rain storms soaked the annual Irish 2000 Music & Arts Festival at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds last September, and organizers took a bath.

So they weighed their options, and came up with a unique plan – what better way to raise funds for a festival than to host another festival?

The one-day-only Irish 2000 Summer Fun-Raiser will be held at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa from 12noon-7pm on Saturday, June 6, featuring a batch of local and regional fave Celtic bands. Tickets are $10, available online in advance, as well as at the gate; children aged 10 years and under are free.

Facing death straight in the eye clears one’s head in a heartbeat. If it’s the possible death of your child, the focus is even sharper. “You think, holy shit, you make a wrong move, and your kids are gonna die. That’s a big one,” says Larry Kirwan, leader of the Celtic rock band Black 47 performing Saturday afternoon at the 18th annual Irish 2000 Festival of Music & Arts at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa.

Black 47 takes its name from the worst year of the Irish potato famine, 1847. Their instrumentation includes uillean pipes and bodhran, and they address issues relating to Irish as well as American politics. They are one of the few contemporary rock bands that don’t blink when it comes to the politics of war. “When we were doing the Iraq album and playing it during the war, we’d do a lot of colleges or a certain amount of them during the course of the year and for three years, 2003 to 2006, it was a nightmare in bars and everything. Even colleges didn’t give a fuck (as long as) they could dance to it. They really didn’t.

“The only way I used to get a rise out of them is I’d off-handedly say, ‘I’m sorry, but the draft is coming back in this afternoon. It’s gonna be tough on you guys.’ Then I’d go into the next song. And this rumor would spread through the crowd. It was wildfire. It was like everyone was listening to what you were gonna say on the next song.”

Black 47’s core audience includes those men and women who choose the military as an occupation at a time when facing death is a gamble they feel is worth the effort in a world of limited life options. Kirwan is not a war monger, but he separates his judgments towards our fighting men and women from those about politicians who make the decisions to go to war.

The SaratogaArtsFest is going on all around Saratoga Springs this weekend, but you get thirsty, you can always take a break on Saturday afternoon (June 14) and head over to the fifth annual Saratoga Brewfest at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa. More than 200 different beers will be served, as well as food, and a variety of music.

General admission ticketa are $45 in advance; $55 at the gate, and include admission (2pm), souvenir tasting glass and four hours of sampling. VIP ticket are $65 in advance; $75 at the door, and include early admission (1pm), access to limited-quantity rare brews, souvenir tasting glass, five hours of sampling and $5 in Brewfest Bucks to be used at participating food vendors. Designated drivers tickets are $10.

The two-day bash kicks off with non-stop music from 5:45-11pm on Friday (September 13), with Gaelic Storm in the headlining slot. On Saturday (September 14), the music kicks off at 11am, and performances continue on three different stages straight through til 11pm.

Two-day all-fest tickets are available in advance only for $29. Friday-only tickets are $16 in advance; $20 at the gate. Saturday-only tickets are $18 in advance; $25 at the gate. Children ages 12 and under are FREE.

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